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The EC Artists' Library #3
50 Girls 50 and Other Stories
Barely old enough to drink when he joined the EC Comics stable, Al Williamson may have been the new kid on the block, but a lifetime of studying such classic adventure cartoonists as Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon) and Hal Foster (Prince Valiant) had made him a kid to reckon with — as he proved again and again in the stories he created for EC’s legendary “New Trend” comics, in particular Weird Science and Weird Fantasy. As a result of Williamson’s focus, it’s possible to compile all of Williamson’s “New Trend” EC work into one book — which Fantagraphics is finally doing here. Sci-fi aficionados should note that although most of the stories were written by Al Feldstein, 50 Girls 50 features three of EC’s legendary Ray Bradbury adaptations, including “I, Rocket” and “A Sound of Thunder” — and a unique curiosity, a strip adapted from a short story submitted by a teenage Harlan Ellison. Williamson ran with a gang of like-minded young Turks dubbed the “Fleagle Gang,” who would help one another out on assignments. Thus this book includes three stories upon which Williamson was joined by the legendary Frank Frazetta, and one story (“Food for Thought”) where Roy Krenkel provided his exquisite alien landscapes, to make it one of the most gorgeous EC stories ever printed. As a supplementary bonus, 50 Girls 50 includes three stories drawn by Fleagles sans Williamson: Frazetta’s Shock SuspenStories short “Squeeze Play”; Krenkel’s meticulous “Time to Leave”; and Angelo Torres’s “An Eye for an Eye,” an EC story that famously fell prey to censorship and was not released until the 1970s. As with other Fantagraphics EC titles, 50 Girls 50 will also include extensive story notes by EC experts.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2013
About the author
Al Williamson
638 books16 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Al Williamson was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Al Williamson was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 21, 2022
50 Girls 50 contains 34 stories, most of which feature art by Al Williamson.
Here it, my white whale. I watched and waited for several years to score a copy of this in my cheapness zone. Finding this for a decent price was like Roland finally catching up to the Man in Black in Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. Finding out it was being reprinted soon the day after it shipped was like when spoiler spoilered the spoiler in the final Dark Tower book.
Anyway, this is some good shit. The stories, written by the usual EC writers plus Ray Bradbury, are mostly science fiction but there are some crime and horror stories in the mix. I'd only read a couple of these stories in my late 1980s EC reprints so most of it was new to me.
Al Williamson can draw like a mother fucker. The hyper detailed art, coupled with frequent use of duoshade, zipatone, and other screens and tints had to make the art a nightmare to reproduce with 1950s printing technology. I'm slightly curious to see how some of the stories look with color. I have to think some of the fine detail would be lost.
Williamson draws cavemen, aliens, monsters, giant apes, rockets, beautiful women, and future tech with great skill. No wonder he was tapped for Flash Gordon and the Star Wars newspaper strip later in his career.
It's hard for me to pick favorites in this one. The Aliens, with it's comic within a comic structure, is a frontrunner. The Arrival, Sound of Thunder, and 50 Girls 50, the titular tale, are also at the top of the list.
I waited a long time for 50 Girls 50 and it was well worth the wait. 4 out of 5 stars.
Here it, my white whale. I watched and waited for several years to score a copy of this in my cheapness zone. Finding this for a decent price was like Roland finally catching up to the Man in Black in Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. Finding out it was being reprinted soon the day after it shipped was like when spoiler spoilered the spoiler in the final Dark Tower book.
Anyway, this is some good shit. The stories, written by the usual EC writers plus Ray Bradbury, are mostly science fiction but there are some crime and horror stories in the mix. I'd only read a couple of these stories in my late 1980s EC reprints so most of it was new to me.
Al Williamson can draw like a mother fucker. The hyper detailed art, coupled with frequent use of duoshade, zipatone, and other screens and tints had to make the art a nightmare to reproduce with 1950s printing technology. I'm slightly curious to see how some of the stories look with color. I have to think some of the fine detail would be lost.
Williamson draws cavemen, aliens, monsters, giant apes, rockets, beautiful women, and future tech with great skill. No wonder he was tapped for Flash Gordon and the Star Wars newspaper strip later in his career.
It's hard for me to pick favorites in this one. The Aliens, with it's comic within a comic structure, is a frontrunner. The Arrival, Sound of Thunder, and 50 Girls 50, the titular tale, are also at the top of the list.
I waited a long time for 50 Girls 50 and it was well worth the wait. 4 out of 5 stars.
Read
October 30, 2020There is some good art here, but the stories didn't really grab me. The basic premise of most of the stories is that some entitled jerk gets his just desserts in a twist ending. The characters are one dimensional and the twists are predictable. Also, there is far too much exposition in text boxes. These may be of interest if you are reading to get an understanding of comic history, but if you're reading for entertainment you might want to give this a pass.
January 6, 2023
The stories are perhaps closer to a 3-star, so many goofy twist endings (some of which you can tell are coming from the first page). The main complaint is of course how prose heavy some pages are, and especially so when the prose is redundant. The art really shines on a lot of these pages even when you can tell Williamson was trying to make a deadline.
Plus there's some comics inked by Frank Frazetta (and one entirely drawn by him too as a bonus), so you can't go wrong.
There's some classics like 50 Girls 50 which brings to mind that Chris Pratt movie Passengers but done better and in only like 7 pages. There's also the Ray Bradbury time travel butterfly effect story The Sound of Thunder. Brilliant stuff.
If I could draw figures like one guy it may have to be Williamson.
Certainly worth a look for people just wanting gorgeous artwork in their comics, of course for anyone wanting to see a legend.
This guy had such a long crazy career. Incredible to think he was doing these comics in the 50s and inking Daredevil comics in the 90s for JRJR.
Plus there's some comics inked by Frank Frazetta (and one entirely drawn by him too as a bonus), so you can't go wrong.
There's some classics like 50 Girls 50 which brings to mind that Chris Pratt movie Passengers but done better and in only like 7 pages. There's also the Ray Bradbury time travel butterfly effect story The Sound of Thunder. Brilliant stuff.
If I could draw figures like one guy it may have to be Williamson.
Certainly worth a look for people just wanting gorgeous artwork in their comics, of course for anyone wanting to see a legend.
This guy had such a long crazy career. Incredible to think he was doing these comics in the 50s and inking Daredevil comics in the 90s for JRJR.
September 5, 2022
Good Lord! It's so, so pretty! I could drool on the cover image alone all day long. Oh, the stories are amazing, too. "By George", "Homesick", "Space Bourne", "Two's Company", "Lost In Space", "Sound of Thunder", "Vicious Circle", "Food For Thought", it's really one gorgeous sci fi fantasy after another. The handfull of non sci fi stories are great, too, "The Thing in the Glades", "Fired Up", and "Take Care" are all stellar horror and crime work. If all that wasn't enough, there's yet more work from Williamsons 'helpers' in the back, including "Squeeze Play", "Time To Leave", and "Eye For an Eye", all totally classic. The romantic atmosphere that Williamson brings to these is very "Empire Strikes Back", with space opera architecture, doomed love affairs, and rogueish dudes in knee high leather boots with gun belts. It's really staggering what a body of work is contained between these covers, one that only could have happened because of the the genius that flowed like electricity through the offices and artists of EC comics.
November 23, 2025
I got my hands on this book in 2015. This vibrant celebration of mid-century science fiction comics—an era when imagination overshadowed scientific accuracy, and aesthetics were inseparable from charm—this collection gathers some of Williamson’s most iconic work, much of it originally created for EC Comics, showcasing his dynamic linework, exotic landscapes, and unmistakable sense of pulp adventure.
Williamson’s art is lush and fluid, revealing a world where rocket ships gleam, alien jungles teem with impossible foliage, and heroes stride with an effortless, almost cinematic swagger.
The title story, “50 Girls 50”, captures the bold futurism and playful sensuality characteristic of the time. The premise—an expedition across the galaxy where women outnumber men fifty to one—could easily have become gimmicky. But Williamson, working with writer Al Feldstein, turns it into a blend of mystery, high adventure, and speculative curiosity. His panels burst with expressive faces, richly detailed machines, and sweeping planetary vistas.
The story feels like a snapshot of a cultural moment when space exploration was equal parts dream and spectacle.
What elevates the collection is not just the nostalgia but the craft. Williamson was a meticulous draftsman, deeply influenced by Alex Raymond and other great illustrators of the adventure tradition. His brushstrokes are supple, his compositions kinetic, and his characters alive with personality. Even minor background figures seem to breathe. The visual storytelling is crisp and confident, balancing action with mood and grandeur with intimacy.
Many comics from this era relied heavily on narration boxes, yet Williamson’s panels often speak for themselves, reducing the need for exposition.
The supporting stories further broaden the range of styles and tones. From swashbuckling escapades to eerie sci-fi parables, the anthology demonstrates the versatility of both Williamson and the EC creative ecosystem.
Themes of exploration, desire, fear, and moral consequence recur, but always with a light touch. Even the darker tales feel infused with a sense of adventure rather than despair.
In retrospect, these stories serve as a cultural artefact—reflecting 1950s hopes, anxieties, and fantasies. But they also remain genuinely entertaining, propelled by Williamson’s singular artistic vision.
This book is both a historical document and a joyous escape, reminding readers of the era when comics reached for the stars with unabashed enthusiasm.
Williamson’s art is lush and fluid, revealing a world where rocket ships gleam, alien jungles teem with impossible foliage, and heroes stride with an effortless, almost cinematic swagger.
The title story, “50 Girls 50”, captures the bold futurism and playful sensuality characteristic of the time. The premise—an expedition across the galaxy where women outnumber men fifty to one—could easily have become gimmicky. But Williamson, working with writer Al Feldstein, turns it into a blend of mystery, high adventure, and speculative curiosity. His panels burst with expressive faces, richly detailed machines, and sweeping planetary vistas.
The story feels like a snapshot of a cultural moment when space exploration was equal parts dream and spectacle.
What elevates the collection is not just the nostalgia but the craft. Williamson was a meticulous draftsman, deeply influenced by Alex Raymond and other great illustrators of the adventure tradition. His brushstrokes are supple, his compositions kinetic, and his characters alive with personality. Even minor background figures seem to breathe. The visual storytelling is crisp and confident, balancing action with mood and grandeur with intimacy.
Many comics from this era relied heavily on narration boxes, yet Williamson’s panels often speak for themselves, reducing the need for exposition.
The supporting stories further broaden the range of styles and tones. From swashbuckling escapades to eerie sci-fi parables, the anthology demonstrates the versatility of both Williamson and the EC creative ecosystem.
Themes of exploration, desire, fear, and moral consequence recur, but always with a light touch. Even the darker tales feel infused with a sense of adventure rather than despair.
In retrospect, these stories serve as a cultural artefact—reflecting 1950s hopes, anxieties, and fantasies. But they also remain genuinely entertaining, propelled by Williamson’s singular artistic vision.
This book is both a historical document and a joyous escape, reminding readers of the era when comics reached for the stars with unabashed enthusiasm.
September 21, 2017
Some quality stuff from EC, mostly sci-fi, by one of the artists I've generally underappreciated, Al Williamson. Great critical/biographical material, and the stories are the usual blend of corny and sublime, with the addition of Williamson & Co.'s gorgeous galactic/biological/architectural flourishes.
February 14, 2020
The kind of excellent art I live for, along with the kind of cutting-edge stories you'd expect from 1950s EC Comics.
Brilliant introduction as well, talking about Al Williamson's artistic influences (Alex Raymond, Franklin Booth etc.), among other things. This is why I read and champion sequential art.
Brilliant introduction as well, talking about Al Williamson's artistic influences (Alex Raymond, Franklin Booth etc.), among other things. This is why I read and champion sequential art.
February 5, 2023
Now back in print, this volume from Fantagraphics showcases one of the all-time great comics artists, Al Williamson. The development of Williamson's talent is quite a journey. As with most of the volumes in the series, the artwork often overshadows the stories, although the Ray Bradbury adaptations in this collection are amazing. Highly recommended.
October 3, 2021
Mostly science fiction tales. The art is fantastic with lots of intricate details. The early stories were a bit irritating in that every sentence ended in an exclamation point.
October 7, 2022
Lot's of fun stories
December 12, 2024
read 50 girls 50 and none of the other short stories as its really hard to find stories from this collection lol
March 5, 2025
Great art.
July 13, 2013
This book, one volume in Fantagrpahics Books's new EC Library line, reprints every story by Al Williamson during his time at EC Comics in the 50's. Williamson was a master of figure drawing, working mostly on sci-fi stories during that time. Other volumes in this series include collections of works by fellow EC superstars Johnny Craig, Al Feldstein, Wallace Wood, Jack Davis, and Harvey Kurtzman. As this series is only the most recent in a sequence of numerous EC reprints it seems fair to compare it to the gold standard in this category, that being the EC Archives (2006-2012) from Gemstone.
If you are unfamiliar with EC Comics and are wondering if they are any good, just consider the fact that they are over 50 years old now and have been continuously reprinted for a few decades now. They were so popular that they became the scapegoat of angry parents and had congressional hearings dedicated to ceasing their publications. If Tipper Gore had been born 50 years earlier she would have targeted EC Comics instead of heavy metal music.
Gemstone's EC Archives reprinted 6 consecutive issues of one title into a full size, color story at $50/each. The downfall of this line was that it never completed reprinting the original source material, and in the specific case of the sci-fi titles (Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and later Weird Science-Fantasy) only ever produces 3 volumes, totaling 18 issues.
Fatagrphic's EC Library reprints every story drawn by a particular artist. This volume showcasing Al Williamson also includes work which he collaborated on (including the only Frank Frazetta penciled EC story), as well as 2 stories which had (I believe) never seen publication before due to the collapse of EC under the thumb of the Comics Code Authority. The EC Library series reprints the stories in B&W, which would mean that you could potentially appreciate the artist's pencils more if it weren't also printed in smaller dimensions. Thankfully we have the Best of EC: Artists Edition to solve that.
I appreciate this book as it filled the void left by the sudden end of the EC Archive line (namely the omissions in the sci-fi titles), however, I don't feel like I absolutely must read everything by the other artists in this series and will likely pass on those.
If you are unfamiliar with EC Comics and are wondering if they are any good, just consider the fact that they are over 50 years old now and have been continuously reprinted for a few decades now. They were so popular that they became the scapegoat of angry parents and had congressional hearings dedicated to ceasing their publications. If Tipper Gore had been born 50 years earlier she would have targeted EC Comics instead of heavy metal music.
Gemstone's EC Archives reprinted 6 consecutive issues of one title into a full size, color story at $50/each. The downfall of this line was that it never completed reprinting the original source material, and in the specific case of the sci-fi titles (Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, and later Weird Science-Fantasy) only ever produces 3 volumes, totaling 18 issues.
Fatagrphic's EC Library reprints every story drawn by a particular artist. This volume showcasing Al Williamson also includes work which he collaborated on (including the only Frank Frazetta penciled EC story), as well as 2 stories which had (I believe) never seen publication before due to the collapse of EC under the thumb of the Comics Code Authority. The EC Library series reprints the stories in B&W, which would mean that you could potentially appreciate the artist's pencils more if it weren't also printed in smaller dimensions. Thankfully we have the Best of EC: Artists Edition to solve that.
I appreciate this book as it filled the void left by the sudden end of the EC Archive line (namely the omissions in the sci-fi titles), however, I don't feel like I absolutely must read everything by the other artists in this series and will likely pass on those.
June 1, 2013
I've always had a soft spot for Al Williamson's EC stories. These are some of my all time favorite comic strips. It's a lovely edition. However it's unfortunate that it's not regular comic size, it's been shrunk down by a good third. No color here either. It's all in glorious black and white. Disappointing. The content is so good and the art so lovely it's forgivable. Better this than nothing.
December 21, 2014
I love EC comics. Many of the stories were a grade below the Twilight Zone variety. Some of my favorites were Vicious Circle, I Rocket, & 50 Girls 50. The artwork more than makes up for the lack of story telling. Absolutely gorgeous inking that was pure eye candy.
February 24, 2016
Interesting artwork with a couple of great stories surrounded by pulp. Another one of the old EC crew.
July 13, 2015
Fantagraphics' artists editions are among the absolute best reproductions of EC comics out there ... essential series.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews